Marangu Route

The Marangu Route is the classic trail for Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing, often called the Coca-Cola route. Unlike other trails, it offers communal huts for staying rather than camping.

Although the route is relatively easy and has few steep climbs, it's known for a lower success rate due to limited acclimatization time. Its popularity remains, providing a unique experience as one of the oldest Kilimanjaro Routes and the convenience of purchasing a Coke along the way.

Marangu Route At A Glance

• Total Distance– 72 km or 45 miles
• Difficulty –Low
• Duration– 5-7 Days
• Success Rate- Low
• Height– Reaches the summit at Uhuru Peak at a height of 5895 meters (19341 feet)
• Location – Marangu approaches Kilimanjaro from the southeast, and the trails begin at Marangu gate.

Highlights And Considerations

Best Time To Climb The Marangu Route

The Marangu Kilimanjaro Route experiences diverse weather and climate due to its varying elevations and ecosystems. The lower rainforest zone is warm and humid, with frequent yearly rainfall.

As trekkers ascend into the moorland and alpine desert zones, temperatures drop significantly, and the environment becomes drier. The summit, in the Arctic zone, experiences sub-zero temperatures, strong winds, and occasional snowfall, making it a challenging environment for climbers.

The Best Time To Climb Kilimanjaro via the Marangu Route is typically between January–March and June–October. It may get chilly and wet during the rest of the year.

The Marangu Route Itinerary

It takes 5-7 days to complete the Climbing Kilimanjaro via Marangu Route. However, our experts suggest not going for the 5-day trek as the quick ascent may reduce the chances of summit success.

Also, you need some previous experience in trekking when opting for the Marangu Route Up Kilimanjaro. This is because you must hike for 6-8 hours daily, with ascents varying between 900 m to 1200 m.

And, to successfully embark on a multi-day hike across challenging landscapes through Marangu Route, you must possess unwavering confidence in your abilities. The journey may entail navigating through varying altitudes and weather conditions, requiring physical and mental endurance to overcome exhaustion and complete the trek. So, be prepared for it.

Below is a summary of the Marangu Route Itinerary for Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. This 7-day Marangu Route Itinerary includes an additional day for acclimatization.

All About Marangu Route

The Marangu Route is the only route on Kilimanjaro that uses a mountain hut system instead of tents. This is the only route which offers sleeping huts in dormitory style accommodations in lieu of camping. Find out all about Marangu Route below.

Sceneries Along The Way

The Marangu Route is considered less scenic than other Kilimanjaro Routes because the route ascends and descends along the same trail. The path remains picturesque, offering sweeping vistas from the tropical forest, expansive moorland, and elevated desert terrains to a frosty peak summit.

It is just that there is a more scenic variety on other Kilimanjaro Routes, as their ascent and descent paths are different.

How Crowded Is The Marangu Route?

Trekkers/hikers coming for Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing generally perceive the Marangu Route as more manageable because of its shorter trek, gradual slopes and direct path. However, this is not the case. The route has a lower acclimatization time and is the least scenic among other Kilimanjaro Climbing Routes.

Still, owing to the misinformation spread, many hikers continue to choose this route. Therefore, the trail becomes busy and attracts more crowds. Hence, if you want a less crowded trek, this route is not for you.

Accommodations On The Marangu Route

As already discussed above, the Marangu Route is the only route up there in Kilimanjaro that accommodates comfortable hut accommodations for its guests. The Kilimanjaro Marangu Route Huts are:

• Mandara Hut – There are 60 bunk beds.
• Horombo Hut- 120 bunk beds
• Kibo Hut- 60 bunk beds

And yes, you are expected to bring your sleeping bags. But you will be supplied with mattresses and pillows at the various huts. These huts are equipped with communal dining halls and washrooms. Expect running water and flushing toilets at lower huts while buckets of water and long drops at Kibo Hut.

Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing Cost For Marangu Route

Tanzania Tribe Safaris provides the Marangu Kilimanjaro Route in a seven-day format, suitable for group or individual climbers, starting from $2,099 per person (calculated on double occupancy).

This rate encompasses seven days of trekking on the mountain, with an additional day at both the beginning and end of the journey at our appealing partner lodge in Moshi.

Kindly visit our 7 Days Marangu Route package to explore further details about this specific Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing Tours’ inclusions, exclusions, and specifics.

Marangu Route Success Rate

Marangu has a relatively poor acclimatisation profile as one of the shortest routes up Kilimanjaro. Hence, the summit's success is low.

It is hard to substantiate this fact with official numbers; however, if you look at the data provided by various Mount Kilimanjaro Tour Operators, the average success rate for a 5-day trek is only 45%. And, for a 6-day itinerary, the Kilimanjaro Marangu Route Success Rate becomes 50%

This means that the chances of reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro are low when opting for the Marangu Route. However, we offer the 7-Day Marangu Route trek up Kilimanjaro with an extra day for acclimatization for better summit success rates.

Our Honest Opinion On The Kilimanjaro Marangu Route

As the ascend and descend routes are the same, the Kilimanjaro Marangu Route is only perceived as easy because of the shorter trek. In contrast, the truth is that a shorter hike makes acclimatization difficult and adds to the woes.

So, only trekkers who want to sleep comfortably in dormitory-like huts and require a shorter trek that provides mattresses and basic amenities can choose Marangu Route.

Budget travellers who don’t have camping equipment and do not want to go camping can opt for Marangu Route for Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing.